High Polling.

I just got back from two weeks of camping. My family has a great spot in the Nantahala National Forest we have been going to for several generations, and I am continuing this tradition with all our kids.Some of the spots I teach my sons and daughters to fish are the exact places where my Dad , and his Dad and so forth learned to fish, in these wild little streams that are so cold that just putting your foot in the water gets you cold quick.I want to tell about one perfect evening when I went fishing by myself, it was almost like all my fishing days had come to this moment , and it was great.
Every day it had rained , and then the water would start to clear again. Since it had rained already that evening, I decided to go solo into a rather remote spot about an hour hike in , and then fish my way back.The hike in was great all the foilage was fresh with rain on it and everything smelled real pungent, like a great salad or something.I had on my wading sneakers and the water was small so I just waded right in up to my knees and got a fish first cast.I normally catch and release to start, and then as the time runs out , I keep just enough to fry up for supper.
I think looking back , I caught a fish almost every cast!All the rain we have had has been very good to trout around here, and they are abundant...more so than in many years since I was a kid.After at least 15 fish --10 inch to 5 inch Specks, and Rainbow I heard a thunder clap. I knew my time was almost over fishing so I started keeping legal size fish.I had 3 in my sack when the rain hit hard, and wind.I was going for 4 nice keepers so I went for it in a great deep hole just above me. As soon as my hook went under a 10 inch Speck nailed it and came at me while I was trying to reel fast enough to get slack out of line and put some pressure on him. Seeing he was running too fast at me and with light and time running out , I "high polled "him.As I ran over to pin him down in some moss as he tryed to flop back into the creek, I smiled knowing this trick had been taught me by my Gramps, and in little water it is deadly to fish .With 4 nice keepers in the creel and a long wet walk back to camp , I pulled down my cap , and started walking fast out of there.It was raining very, very hard.All I could see was the trail, and I could only here the rain, so when what happened next gave me a surprise.A huge bear was in the Hemlocks to my left, and he must have not heard me until I was right on him , he leapt across the trail 5 ft. in front of me and never looked back as he ran very fast away.What a trip!It is good to live in these mountains, and see what will happen next.Marty.

What was funny was that we had run out of cornmeal, but we had a stick of butter, so I fried them in this only. I think this was the best they ever tasted! They were so fresh that as soon as the fish hit the skillet they all curled up almost double.All you do is turn them , and then they flatten.I ate them so quick when my family arrived at camp(supply run to town)no fish was left for samples. Was this wrong of me? :clap: :clap: That is where the word SELF-FISH originated -right here in our camp . :happy: Marty.

Man , I bet those Lake Superior trout get big.You probably fillet them?That is one thing I guess I have never done , is catch a really large trout. Most of the wild trout around here are in small water, but you can catch big native fish. I have caught thousands I guess , but never a real wall hanger.I do have trophies, pictures of fish I release sometimes. I will take a picture of the fish laying on moss or ferns just before letting them go. I have albums of these.But never the Moby.I will just have to keep at it , darn! :grit: